The project “Establishment and Building of Youth Media Forums to Promote Coexistence and Peacebuilding in Iraq” began in October 2021 and will continue until September 2022. It is being implemented by the Civil Development Organization in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in partnership with the Jordanian Center for Protection and Freedom of Journalists, Metro Organization in Sulaymaniyah, and is funded by the United Nations Development Programme in Iraq.
The project aims to enhance social cohesion in Iraq among its diverse communities by building the capacities of young journalists to produce media content that counters hate speech and division, and strengthens the fight against extremist ideologies and terrorism.
The project seeks to organize several discussion sessions targeting media institutions, media faculty members, educational institutions, officials, and relevant activists to discuss the current state of media, gaps, opportunities, and its impact on social cohesion and the reconciliation process in Iraq.
The project aims to achieve three specific objectives:
- Maintain the “Diversity” website and its associated social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram, and YouTube, supporting it with at least 500 media products (videos, articles, reports, web stories, etc.) to promote and amplify social cohesion and peace issues in Iraq.
- Train young journalists in Baghdad, Anbar, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Najaf, Karbala, Dhi Qar, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on journalism ethics and standards, social cohesion issues in Iraq, and how to address hate speech and violent extremism on social media.
- Organize 12 roundtables and discussion sessions with media institutions, media faculty members, relevant educational institutions, officials, and relevant activists to discuss the current state of media, gaps, opportunities, and their impact on social cohesion and reconciliation in Iraq.
The project targets 90 journalists from various social backgrounds and minorities from the following Iraqi provinces: Baghdad, Anbar, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Diyala, Najaf, Karbala, Dhi Qar, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. They will produce 500 media products and publish them through a dedicated project website and associated social media platforms.
The role required from the Center for Protection and Freedom of Journalists in this project includes:
- Conducting 4 Training Workshops: Each workshop will last for 3 days and will focus on journalism ethics and standards, social cohesion issues in Iraq, and how to address hate speech and violent extremism on social media.
- Providing Guidance and Mentoring: Offer guidance to participating journalists to prepare media materials promoting coexistence, peacebuilding, and rejecting violence and extremism in Iraq, and publish these materials on the project’s website and social media platforms.
- Preparing and Writing a Field Study: Develop a field study on the state of media in Iraq focusing on the gaps between theoretical and practical media, journalism ethics in Iraq, areas for improvement, the role of media in advocating for social cohesion, peace and coexistence, youth and social media, hate speech, freedom of expression, etc. The study will be available in three languages: Arabic, Kurdish, and English.